Forgiveness
by Layana Danare
Summary: The Exile has returned to Dantooine to find someone special. Will she accept him back after he left her alone for so many years? OneShot SongFic. Song: Far Away by Nickleback. LSMExilexMira


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In this fanfic, I have the ExileMira pairing, simply because I didn't want to do Brianna, and I didn't think I could do Visas very well. Anyway, in this one, like in the "Left Alone" ones, Visas and Brianna have died on Malachor. Maybe not exactly the same way, but they died. So I'm sorry all Visas or Brianna fans, I like them too, I just needed them to... be dead. :(

Thanks for clicking on this story and you may now proceed to the story. heart

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Forgiveness

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The Exile raked his long fingers through his chestnut-colored hair and blew out his breath in one big sigh. He was standing on a hill that he hadn't been on for... How many years _had _it been? Five? Seven? It couldn't be ten, could it?

The Exile felt the strong Dantooine wind whip his long robes around. They slapped against his body and flew out again. He bent down to pick one of the tiny flowers that had many others of it's kind spread all over the plains. The flower bent and stirred in the wind and one of it's petals broke off, reminding the Exile of his own heart. He wondered if the girl on the other side of the hill was feeling as broken, as restless, as _stirred up_ as he felt right now.

_This time, This place  
Misused, Mistakes  
Too long, Too late  
Who was I to make you wait  
Just one chance  
Just one breath  
Just in case there's just one left  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

Would Mira be angry when she saw him? The Exile had to smile as he thought of Mira's fiery temper. _I won't be surprised if she bursts __out in anger. _He couldn't help but think that he deserved it, but...

He hoped that she remembered how much he loved her.

_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

The Exile hadn't _meant _to leave Mira behind. It had just..._ happened. _Kreia had once said something about not bringing anyone you loved with you. And he knew she was right. He had followed Kreia's advice blindly.

After Visas and Brianna had died on Malachor V, Mira was all he had left. At first, he had been afraid that he was turning to her only because she was the last female companion alive, but as he grew closer to the fiery-haired bounty hunter, he knew that it wasn't like that. And she... Had she loved him? Did she know what she had meant to him?

_On my knees, I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance  
'Cause with you, I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand  
I'd give it all  
I'd give for us  
Give anything but I won't give up  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

The Exile tucked the flower into his pocket and patted it for good luck. Even though the Jedi Council had once taught him that there was no such thing as luck, there were no longer any Masters to shake their fingers at him. And he had the feeling that it would do him good to be able to believe blindly in something, for once.

He'd never been able to be sure enough of anything to believe blindly in it. Not the Force, not the Jedi, not love.

Nothing.

_Please, _The Exile raised his eyes to the sky, _help her remember._

_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

It was time. The Exile knew he had waited long enough. Any longer and Mira would explode with frustration. If she hadn't already, that was. The Exile half ran, half slid down the hill toward a little house in the valley. The Administrator had told him that this hovel was where he would find Mira. "She wanted to live near the Enclave," Adare had told him. "She once said that it was the only thing that kept her tied to you."

The Exile paused in front of the door. There were no sounds coming from inside the house. Was Mira even home? It wasn't like her to be this quiet. The Exile knocked on the door, tapping lightly at first, then harder as he gained courage.

No answer.

"Mira?" The Exile called uncertainly. "Mira!"

Silence.

How could she not be here? After all the years of waiting, The Exile didn't think he could stand it if he had to wait another minute. But he had to. Mira was not there. He leaned against the house, letting his head sink down to his chest wearily. He was so tired...

"Ralin?"

The Exile turned at the sound of a voice, so unfamiliarly soft, but that sounded just like...

Mira's.

Ralin's knees failed him and he sank into the Dantooine grass. Mira stood stock still, her green eyes staring as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The wind whistled softly in the grasses, and, distantly, a kath hound could be heard wailing, but neither the Exile nor Mira could say anything.

Then, all of a sudden, they both rushed into each other's arms.

_So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
But you know, you know, you know_

Ralin felt something welling up in his brown eyes, something warm and wet. Tears? He let them fall freely. He held Mira oh-so gently, her slender little body tucked in his powerful arms. His fingers closed around her waist, which was more modestly covered than usual. "I-I'm so sorry," he stammered.

"It's okay," Mira whispered in his ear, brushing his cheek with her lips. "It's okay." She ran a hand down his back and up again, passing her fingers through his light brown hair.

"No, no, it's not," Ralin said, his forehead lowering to meet hers. "I shouldn't have left you."

"It's okay," Mira repeated. "I forgave you a long time ago."

_ I wanted  
I wanted you to stay  
'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say  
That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

"It was hard, at first. I was so angry, but then I came here, to Dantooine. Dantooine reminded me so much of you, tranquil at times, but it has it's moments. And the Enclave," Mira smiled up into Ralin's eyes, "and the crystal cave... Oh, Ralin, do you have any idea how strongly you impacted those places? They echo your footsteps, and I can almost hear you murmuring something about the Force."

"I thought of you every day, every single day," Ralin told her, letting his arms close tighter around her waist. "I didn't want to leave. Didn't want to let you go for this long...

"You're never goingto let me go again. I won't let you," Mira said, her voice harshly bright, like the sun on Tatooine. "Not in this lifetime."

"I-I won't," Ralin promised haltingly. "There won't be a reason for it anymore," Jacen continued a little more strongly. "Mira?"

"What?" Mira glanced at him suspiciously.

"Do you think you would..." Ralin paused, fiddling in his pocket for something. He pulled out the sweet Dantooine grass flower with one petal missing. "Do you think we could..."

"Spit it out, Ralin," Mira's true nature began to shine through as she stared down at the crumpled little flower.

_How in the world __does one say this? _Ralin decided to plunge ahead as if he had nothing to lose. "Mira, would you do something against the Jedi code? I want you," he drew in a deep breath, "to marry me."

In response, he received a breathless kiss.

_Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go_

As Ralin moved to put his arms around Mira again, the little flower twisted it's self from his fingers and flew off with the wind.

-**Fin**-


End file.
